A history lesson
by NewPaladin
Summary: Seth meets someone in a snowstorm and learns the true history of his homeland and the fight against the Demon King 800 years ago. Includes hints of Seth/Eirika.


Hi thar. Sometime ago I've decided to write the legend of the Five Heroes. I actually made all up while writing and it's a very fun way to write. Every name/character you recognize in this story belongs to Nintendo. The other ones are my OCs. (I know that Hineas is Innes´ name in the original, but, you know, I'm very bad with coming up with names and it's a pretty name 8D)

Now have fun.

* * *

It was a white hell. Everywhere was white, white and more white. A great snowstorm was raging and Seth had lost his group.

Princess Eirika´s group was passing through the mountains towards the hidden village Caer Pelyn. Saleh and Ewan had guided them safely through the treacherous cliffs and sharp ledges but a sudden snowstorm had surprised them. In a matter of minutes they were practically snowed in. Nonetheless they had to search for a place to make camp, so they had to send a small group to scout ahead. They had chosen the sturdiest soldiers of their group and Seth had been one of them, Garcia and Gilliam the other two.

They had walked for a while, huddled in their cloaks and fighting against the storm before a strong gust had made Seth step back. Unfortunately, there had been a cliff or precipice and he had fallen. For a long time. Eventually, his head had hit a rock and everything had gone black. It was his luck that he had woken up again.

Now, he was blindly walking through the snow, trying to keep the white flakes out of his eyes and to not run in circles. Well, he hoped he wasn't walking in circles but since all he could see was white, white and again white he didn't know. He could barely see his hands in front of his eyes. His hair was already frozen and a thin layer of frost had arisen on his skin. He could no longer feel his fingers, feet, nose, ears or anything else. He felt so tired, so very tired and his eyes were slowly closing. The wind howled loudly and slapped the snow against him. The sky darkened, as far as Seth could tell.

Suddenly, the dancing snow became one white wall and if Seth´s brain would still function, then he would have noticed that he had fallen. But during the descent he already fell unconscious and slept when his face hit the white mattress.

The wind continued to howl and bark and growl and slowly the snow started to cover the still body. Apart from the wind it was very quiet and it continued to be so for a while. Then, there was a crunch. After a few crunches a shadow appeared in the storm. The person stood over the unconscious paladin and stared at him for a while. After he had passed judgement on this man, he grabbed him by the collar, dragging the unconscious man with him through the storm. Within seconds he disappeared in the white air.

* * *

Several hours later, Seth grunted lowly and stirred. He slowly blinked the sleep from his eyes and instantly sneezed. His whole body was still cold and he noticed that his teeth were chattering. But when he took a few seconds to collect himself he also noticed that he was lying in a bed. Three thick wool blankets were spread over him and he felt that someone had stripped him of his armour. It should worry Seth that he was completely defenceless and in the house of some stranger but the warmth felt so good that he only sighed and closed his eyes. His fingers were slowly losing their stiffness and his skin tickled slightly while the frost was melting.

He lay there for a long time, just enjoying to feel the warmth seeping into his body. As soon as he felt warm enough he opened his eyes again and sat up. His muscles were all sore and hurting but nonetheless he forced himself up. He rested his back against the headrest and looked around with a sigh.

He was in a cosy house. The bed stood in one corner, at his right was an open door, probably leading to the kitchen. The furniture was simple but still had some kind of elegance. A massive table with five stools stood in the middle. A vase with wildflowers was placed on it, even though Seth wondered where they came from. Behind it was a beautiful bureau; the upper half had glass doors with thin scrolls on the fringe. The lower part was open and a few plates and mugs were spread on them. Opposite of the bed and next to the front door was an armour rack and relieved Seth detected his blue armour neatly placed on it. His sword stood next to it and it made him feel much better. Now he could defend himself if he had to. A fluffy carpet was lying in the middle of the room and Seth wondered briefly where he had seen the design before. He had the feeling that he knew the emblem but he couldn't recall where. It was a mixture of an oval and a circle, with a scrolled fringe, similar to the bureau. In the middle was the contour of a paladin in full speed, with a spear on his back. Below it was something that looked like a subtitle but Seth wasn't able to read it.

While Seth tried to get his thoughts together or to find an answer to the question where he was, he heard a quiet clang and a bit of shuffling. Seth instantly whipped his head around and looked to the open door alarmed. He heard two splashes and more clanging. Then, muffled foot steps. Seth clutched the blanket tightly, ready to bolt to his sword if he had to.

A man stepped into the door frame; he carried two bowls in his hands and blinked surprised when he saw Seth sitting upright in the bed. Instantly a smile appeared on his face.

"You're awake." he stated. Seth was surprised how the smooth and deep voice of the stranger calmed him. Unconsciously he relaxed again and unclenched his hands. The man walked over to the table and put down the bowls. Seth used the time to inspect the man closer. He had hair of the same colour as the sea. It just reached his brows and was spiky in the back. His face had no striking features, apart from his honey-brown eyes. He was tall, maybe even a few inches taller than Seth which was quite a feature; the redhead was one of the tallest men in the army. The stranger wore simple black trousers and a tunic in royal blue. "Come and eat something." the man said with a smile and gestured to the steaming bowls. In this second Seth smelled the delicious scent which was emitting from the dishes. Fitting, his stomach loudly demanded food. Seth flushed slightly when the man laughed heartily and sat down.

The red paladin swung his legs over the edge of the bed and carefully stood up. His legs felt still a little wobbly. He bent down to massage them. Then he detected that he wasn't wearing his own clothes. His pants were white and his formerly dark tunic had the same royal blue colour as the stranger´s. He didn't even wear his own socks.

"What are you waiting for?" the man asked over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Seth quickly answered and sat down opposite of the man. He looked down in the steaming bowl. A thick stew greeted him; there were big gobbets, thick potato and vegetable pieces and herbs were swimming on the surface. Seth´s mouth watered and he dug in. The stranger chuckled lowly and started to eat as well.

The lunch -or dinner, Seth didn't know how late it was- was eaten in silence. The only exception was when the man asked if Seth wanted a second helping. Of course the paladin had instantly nodded. The stew was delicious and warmed every corner of his body which until now had refused to warm up. Seth could feel the other man´s gaze on him when he tilted his head back and slurped the remaining soup. He sighed satisfied and put the bowl down.

"You look better now." the man said and propped his head on his hand. Seth nodded and showed a grateful smile.

"I feel much better. Thank you very much for saving me. I would have probably died out there." The man nodded and looked to the left. Only now Seth noticed the two windows above the bed. The storm was still raging and banging against the walls.

"You already were half-dead when I found you."

"Then I have to thank you even more." Seth said with a nod. "May I inquire your name?" The man grinned and turned to Seth again. Seth noticed that he had very white teeth.

"The name's Charles."

"I'm Seth, General of Renais."

"General?" Charles asked surprised. But the strange smile on his face implied that he knew far more than he admitted. "Really, you look quite young to be a general."

"The king has seen it fit." Seth answered modestly. He didn't like to brag about his accomplishments but he was nonetheless proud of them.

"Well, I think he would do nothing he deemed ill-fit." Charles murmured with a nod and a faraway look entered his eyes. He quickly snapped back, though, and turned to Seth again. "But what are you doing out here? Caer Pelyn is not that close to Renais and I wonder why the General would come here." Seth sighed lowly and folded his hands in front of him.

"Since you're living in the middle of nowhere you probably don't know about the war." the redhead said slowly.

"War?" Seth heard concern in Charles´ voice.

"Yes. Grado has invaded Renais without any signs of hostility. The Prince and Princess are safe and still living but the king has died in the assault. Grado is trying to destroy the Sacred Stones and the small army I am part of tries to get to Jehanna to prevent that." Seth wondered shortly why he was telling this stranger about the Sacred Stones but somehow it had slipped from his tongue without him noticing. Charles had a strange charisma that made him feel... safe and at home.

"Oh Grado, what are your children doing?" Charles whispered to himself with a sad expression.

"What did you say?" Seth inquired. Charles just shook his head.

"Nothing important. So you try to prevent the world from collapsing?" Seth nodded severely.

"Yes. There is no other to do it. And the Prince and Princess are confident that they will succeed."

"Hmm..." Charles hummed thoughtfully and scrutinised Seth thoroughly. "You seem to trust them very much. Are they that strong?"

"Of course." Seth instantly replied. "Prince Ephraim is a strong young man with great visions and a quick mind. He is one of the best spearmen in Renais and right now he attacks Grado with only a small force. And the Princess Eirika is not only strong but fair and generous. You will find no other woman with such a compassionate heart and strong will. They will fight for the freedom of Renais and I know they will succeed." Seth´s heart swelled with pride. He really was proud to serve the twins of Renais and he will continue to serve them until the day he dies.

Charles grinned at him. It was a bit unnerving.

"You really love them, don't you?" Seth was so surprised by the statement that he couldn't fight the heavy blush that appeared on his cheeks.

"Wh- what?" Charles laughed when he saw Seth´s shocked face.

"Oh my. I hit the mark, didn't I?" Seth harrumphed embarrassed and willed his blush to go away.

"You didn't." Seth denied but it was futile. Charles waved the deny aside.

"Boy, I can look right through you. You love them. And your blush indicates that you love at least one of them a bit more than brotherly." Seth averted his gaze and clenched his fists slightly.

"I don't. I don't love them that way."

"Whatever lets you sleep at night." Charles replied with a nonchalant shrug. Seth blinked bewildered at that. It looked strange to see a 40-something year old man act like an insolent teenager. "But I don't think you can lie to yourself much longer. Eventually you have to admit it." The surprises didn't stop and Seth couldn't reply anything. He felt like Charles was looking right through him. But how? Was he that transparent? Seth didn't like the feeling.

"Charles, please stop this nonsense. I don't love them that way." Charles rolled his eyes, obviously not believing anything. Seth growled lowly. Somehow, it made him angry that he didn't believe him. "I mean it." Charles snorted amused. "I don't love them that way."

"Yeah, I believe you. Really." Charles replied with heavy sarcasm. Seth felt his blood grow hot. Why was it so infuriating?

"Stop accusing me! I don't love them! It isn't right!" he yelled, sprang to his feet and slammed his hands on the table. Charles raised an eyebrow and looked questioningly at the panting Seth. His red eyes were ablaze but there was a hint of desperate denial too.

"Why is it not right?" Seth took a shuddering breath and tried to calm down. There was no use in snapping at Charles. He was vexing but he did owe him his life.

"Because she is a noble and I'm not." Seth said when his composure had returned to him. Slowly he sat back down.

"So it is the princess." Charles stated with a smug smile. Even though Seth had just admitted it, he felt still caught.

"Yes." he grumbled.

"Since when it is forbidden for a fine knight to marry a fine young lady?" Charles asked with genuine curiosity. And maybe even a bit of disbelieving.

"I... don't know." Seth answered truthfully. He didn't know the exact date but it had been like this for centuries. "A few hundred years?" Charles sighed deeply and shook his head.

"What has happened to the world...?" Seth blinked questioningly.

"What do you mean?" Charles sighed again and smiled wistfully.

"Do you want to hear a story?" Seth was once again bewildered by the man in front of him. He just couldn't grasp him. Every time he thought he had formed an accurate image of him, Charles did something that messed it up again.

"Why not." Seth sighed and looked out of the window. The snow was still pounding against the glass. Charles chuckled and leaned back.

"Alright. A long time ago the structure of the society was a bit different." Seth made himself comfortable. It seemed it would be a long story. "The society consisted of small... let say groups of people. Not many, maybe around one or two hundred men, women and children. They lived in small villages and were led by a mayor-like leader. He and his family were the head of the group. Only the groups in Jehanna were nomads.

One day, a great evil came into the world and with it came a horde of monsters. They destroyed the land and killed countless people. But one day, five heroes and their comrades took up their weapons and with the help of the goddess they fought the monsters." Seth knew this story. Every child in Magvel learns the story of the five heroes and their fight against the Demon King. It was common knowledge. "After their fight and victory they returned to their villages and were greeted warmly by their kin. The people decided to make them their leaders and each of the heroes took his family and group with them. The other groups were allowed to decided freely where they wanted to live. That's how the five countries were founded."

"I know." Seth said. "I learnt it when I was a small boy."

"I know, I know." Charles chuckled. "But it is impolite to interrupt a story." Despite himself, Seth felt embarrassed and nodded. This man really had a strange charisma. "After the heroes were named king -or queen, respectively-, they were reminded that they had to beget children therewith their bloodline continues. And the easiest way to do that is getting a husband or a wife. So the heroes looked for a partner and most of them had already found them." Seth wondered why Charles was telling him this. Besides, he never heard about this. Normally the story stopped after they founded the countries.

"Charles, what-"

"Ah! I said no interruption." Seth promptly shut his mouth. Why did he have the feeling that he was facing his father? They had the same tone of authority in their voices. "Grado, the first emperor, finally made his long-time fiancé his wife. I can still not understand why he named his land after himself. That was not really ingenious." Charles chuckled amused. Seth was a bit unsure about how he should react. Laughing at the expense of one of the great heroes felt wrong. "Latona returned with her tribe to the forest she loved. She became the first pontifex of Rausten and eventually married a priest. They got a beautiful daughter." Charles nodded to himself and it seemed he remembered something pleasant. "Kahina, that spirited woman, returned to the desert and founded Jehanna. She married a fellow mercenary. Did you know that Jehanna means "Golden sea" in the old Jehannan tongue?" Seth just shook his head. He didn't want to get scolded again.

"Really? Well, it's not important anyway." Charles shifted his weight a bit and the stool creaked quietly. "Hineas, the devil with the bow, married a fellow soldier of his. A really powerful woman. She was one of the first who tamed a pegasus. Those flying bastards were pretty wild in these days." Charles shook his head with a disdainful snort.

"´Flying bastards´?" Seth inquired amused. Charles nodded with a sour expression.

"Yeah. Those flying horses hate me. I don't know why but they despise me. I didn't hurt them or anything!" Charles looked genuinely hurt and it made Seth chuckle. "They always bite or kick me." Charles shook his head annoyed. "I hate them."

"Looks like it. But what do you want to tell me with your story?"

"I'm not finished, am I?" When Seth shook his head assertively, Charles continued. "Iwain, the man who founded Renais, married a woman who was very close to him." His gaze became a bit wistful, when he turned to the window again. "She was not only a close friend but a maid in the household of his father. You could say she was his servant." Now he looked at Seth again, with a small smile on his face. Seth just looked back blankly. "Every one of the spouses apart from Grado´s fiancé were ´commoners´, as you would say today. Even though she wasn't ´nobility´as well. She was just a bit richer than the others. So where is the problem if a well-known knight wants to marry his princess? The first queen of Renais was even lower. Though I don't like the word ´lower´. It sounds so negative." He looked disgusted while pronouncing the foul word. Then he gazed questioningly at Seth.

The redhead was at a loss of words. What should he say? He didn't hear the names of their spouses before nor did he know anything about their background. To be honest, he didn't even know how the society worked back then. So he couldn't tell if Charles was shamelessly lying to his face or if he told the truth. Seth was just confused.

"I..."

"You don't know a good answer." Charles completed his sentence. "Because there is none." He stretched his arms over his head until he heard a satisfying cracking. "Well, we should call it a day. You're probably still tired." Charles stood up, grabbing the bowls, and walked into the kitchen. Seth turned surprised to the window. The storm was still there and as angry as before but it was a tiny bit darker outside. "You're taking the bed." Charles said when he returned to the living-room.

"No. I'm feeling much better and I don't want to exploit your hospitality any longer."

"Oh, keep it low." Charles answered with a snort and leaned against the door frame. "You're my guest, you were nearly dying of cold a few hours ago and now you want me to let you sleep on the floor? I'm sorry but I can't do that." He threw the redhead a stern glance. "You, sir, are sleeping in the bed. And no complaints." And with that Charles turned around and disappeared in the kitchen. Seth blinked helplessly and stared after the man.

It was so... confusing. This man had a strange effect on him. He made him feel like a small boy who was obviously in the wrong and had to be corrected by his father. Seth, to be frankly, didn't like the feeling. He crossed his arms, frowning at the kitchen door. Tomorrow, he had to find out what it was that made him feel that way. The heavy yawn he made a second later validated his tiredness and he crawled into bed. With a happy sigh he pulled the warm blankets up. The house was very warm but those blankets were even warmer. Within a few minutes Seth was fast asleep, feeling completely at peace.

* * *

The next morning came too quickly. When Seth awoke, he smelled the mouth-watering smell of frying bacon. He also heard the frying bacon and he thought about getting up but those blanket were so cosy. Seth sighed and buried himself in the wool. He was in a nest of warmth and it made him forget everything. After a while he heard clatter and foot steps. Something was placed on the table and Charles walked over to the bed.

"Hey, get up, you lazy bum." He slapped him on the back. Seth grunted and slowly sat up yawning. Charles walked over to the table chuckling and sat down. Seth stretched and followed him. With a smile he detected that his nose hadn't betrayed him. On his plate lay perfectly fried bacon, two big slices of baked potatoes next to it and a loaf of bread was in the middle of the table. Hungrily, Seth dug in. Charles watched him amused. "You're sure hungry." he chuckled while Seth stuffed the bread in his mouth.

"Well..." Embarrassed Seth swallowed the bread quickly. "To be honest, yes."

"I can see that." Charles shook his head laughing and continued with his own meal.

Charles finished first again and watched how Seth devoured the food. When the paladin was finally satisfied, he leaned back and sighed.

"Charles, I owe you for your hospitality. If I can do anything for you-"

"You don't need to." Charles interrupted him with a small smile. "There's not much to do in this house." Seth nodded slowly and looked to the window. The storm hadn't lessened over the night and raged on. "Looks like you can't leave in the next hours." Charles stood up and walked over to the window, leaning against the wooden wall. The snow danced and ran and rammed the house, completely wild.

"Charles?" The blue-haired man turned his head questioningly. Seth had propped his head on his arm and gazed at the carpet. "Whose emblem is this?"

"It's the old emblem of Renais, boy. Don't tell me you don't know it." Charles explained with a raised eyebrow and looked at Seth with a scolding gaze.

"I knew I have seen it before." the paladin mumbled.

"I would be shocked if you don't know it." Charles sat down opposite the redhead again. "It's part of the history of Renais." Seth nodded slowly.

"Yes. Charles?" The blue-haired man tilted his head questioningly. "You seem to know very much about the old time. Would you care to tell me more about it?" Charles shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sure. With that snowstorm we can't do much anyway. Let's go to the fireplace in my library." Charles stood up and walked into the kitchen with Seth following him. The kitchen was small but it looked like everything you could need was there. A small stove and a tub that was used as a sink were to the left and a table with some knives and a carving board was to the right. And next to the table was another door. Cautiously Seth stepped in.

It was a really small room. In one corner was the friendly fireplace where a fire was already burning. A bookshelf was wedged between the door and the wall opposite of it. The two chairs took in the remaining place.

"Come on. Take a seat." Charles flopped down on the left seat and nodded to the other. Seth wormed his way to the chair. It was very soft and plushy. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything from the beginning." Seth said shrugging. "The story I know starts when the Demon King shows up and the heroes gather in the region between Renais and Frelia."

"That's merely nothing." Charles said shocked. "Then you don't know how the heroes met and what difficulties they had. Even though that's such a funny story." Charles shook his head sighing.

"Then tell me. I would love to hear it." Seth smiled when a big grin appeared on Charles´ face. The man harrumphed, made himself comfortable and crossed his arms.

"Good. Then let's start with Grado. His family lived at the sea where today the Renvall castle stands. As far as I remember his tribe was dominated by stock-breeders. His fiancé was the daughter of the second richest man. He knew her since they were little but he didn't like her as a child." Charles chuckled lowly. "You know how it works. The boy annoys the girl and the girl plays pranks on the boy and both pretend to not like the other though in reality they do."

"Yeah, I do..." Seth did remember that he had done similar things as a young boy but not because he had been in love with her. She had started it and he had thought it was funny. It had been a little contest between the two of them.

"But he only did that because he really loved her." Charles continued. "He was just a bit awkward because he didn't know how to tell her that he loved her. But since it did work out in the end, it's okay, right?" Seth nodded assertively. "Then Hineas. He and his tribe lived in the farthest north of Frelia, directly at the sea. His father was a fisher but Hineas preferred to become a hunter. And what a hunter he was! There was no other who could hit a deer 200 foot away." Seth raised an eyebrow. This sounded a bit like a certain Frelian Prince he knew. At least what he claimed to be able to. Looks like the Prince inherited much from his ancestor. "His future wife and her tribe lived in the southwest of Frelia, in the vicinity of the Pegasi Forest. Did you hear of it?" Seth nodded.

"Yes. It is said that pregnant pegasi go there to give birth."

"That's true." Charles affirmed. "And in those days most pegasus were untamed. Faye and her tribe tamed them and used them for hunting. Or sometimes they sold them if the pegasus found a human he wanted to accompany."

"Faye?"

"Ah, that's her name. Hineas´ future wife was called Faye." Seth nodded slowly. He had never heard her name before.

"And what was the name of Grado´s wife?"

"What, did I forget to tell you?" Charles asked surprised. Seth nodded and Charles shook his head sighing. "I become old. Well, her name was Flavia."

"I see..." Another person he hadn't heard of. He wondered why the scholars didn't include the wives in the story. They could have at least mentioned them.

"But let me continue. Next one is Iwain. His tribe lived approximately in the region where the castle of Renais stands today. They were farmers and Iwain was a farmer through and through. He loved ploughing the fields, caring about the plants and then finally harvesting the fruits of the earth." A blissful expression entered Charles´ face. "It was a wonderful life."

"Were you a farmer as well?" Seth asked curiously. Charles was a bit startled out of his thoughts and looked at Seth surprised.

"What?"

"I asked if you were a farmer as well. You look like you know what you're talking about." Charles grinned and nodded. There was this knowing twinkle in his eyes again.

"Yes. Yes, I was." The blue-haired man gazed dreamily into the fire. It crackled and flickered peacefully. "Iwain´s future wife was a maid, as I already told you. Her name was Laudine. Even before the Demon King appeared the two were in love and Iwain was already thinking about a way to propose to her. They were madly in love." He sighed and turned to Seth again. "But because of the Demon King he had to postpone the proposal."

"And his father had no problem with it?" Charles frowned confused.

"Why would he?" Seth suddenly felt uncomfortable. Charles´ gaze had turned... darker and unfriendly.

"I just... Nevermind." Seth sighed and propped his head on his hand. "I forgot that the society worked different back then."

"And I think it was better in those days." Charles mumbled. Seth nodded pensively. If he had lived back then, nothing would hold him back. There he could have loved Eirika freely. Sighing he shook his head. There was no use in thinking about something that would never happen. It was superfluous. "But let's continue. Kahina the whirlwind and her tribe were nomads who travelled through Jehanna. They travelled from oasis to oasis. To survive they collected the fruits they found in the oases or fished if there were fishes in the founts. And they bred the best horses you could find."

"In the desert?" Seth asked unbelieving.

"Yes. They were tougher than dried meat and this stuff is harder than stone." Charles said with admiration in his voice. "And they could move better in the sand than other horses. Though only in the borderlands." He added the last bit as an afterthought.

"But that changed over the time." Seth added. "Nowadays the horse breeding is nearly insignificant. Jehanna lives from its mercenaries and a bit trading."

"Yeah, I heard about that." Charles said nodding. "But it's a bit sad. Those horses were great. Oh well, I can't change it. I think we strayed from the subject, though. Kahina travelled through Jehanna and Malik, her future husband, was a mercenary who lived in the north of Jehanna in the mountains."

"You mean just south of here?"

"Yes, just behind the mountains." Charles pointed over his shoulder, then hesitated and frowned. "Wait, no." He pointed to his left. "There, in this direction." Then he frowned deeper. "Or was it there?" He pointed to the right.

"Let's just say in the south." Seth suggested chuckling.

"Yes, lest I embarrass myself further." Charles laughed. "The last hero was Latona. She was a really spirited woman and adored the forest. Her tribe consisted mostly of farmers and healers. They collected the healing herbs from the Darkling Woods and made vulneraries. She was a peace-loving person but if you teased her long enough, she would explode like Mt. Neleras. Sometimes she was really scary. But her future husband James could always calm her."

"It really sounds like they were a motley crew." Seth said amused. It reminded him of his own group.

"Yes they were." Charles chuckled. His eyes grew soft when he seemingly sunk into memories but suddenly they froze up. "But their paradise was destroyed suddenly. One day the Demon King appeared. Nobody knows where he came from but they didn't particular care about that. They just wanted him to disappear again. The Demon King took resident in the Darkling Woods and drove away the tribes that lived in the vicinity. Latona was very sad about it and her tribe fled to Renais. Eventually they encountered Iwain´s tribe. She asked them for help but they couldn't give her much. Additionally Iwain´s tribe was very peacefully and though he could fight he didn't like it. He didn't want to leave his farm."

"But with the Demon King around he couldn't farm in peace." Seth argued. "How could he be so blind?" Charles shook his head sighing and turned to the fire again. It was slowly dying down. Charles grabbed a piece of wood which lay next to the fire place and carefully placed it on the embers.

"He was a young man and just wanted to live his life in peace with Laudine." Seth frowned. It was not like he didn't understand him but he didn't like his attitude. Maybe he felt this way because he was a soldier and was used to fighting and risking his life for others. "Well, Latona continued her journey. On her way south she met up with Grado. He and his men had taken up arms and wanted to fight the Demon King. Latona instantly understood that she had found allies and they united their tribes. Unfortunately their group was still small and they had to find more companions. At the same time the minions of the Demon King swarmed around and destroyed the land. Hineas and Faye as well as some fighters of other tribes decided to take up arms as well. After some time Latona and Grado heard about their group and decided to meet them."

"And what happened in Jehanna?" Seth interrupted. Charles threw him a scolding look. "I'm sorry." Seth sunk back in his chair and felt like a child again. He still had to find out how Charles could evoke this feeling and how he could avoid it.

"Well, Jehanna was relatively peaceful. Most of the monsters didn't like the heat so there were less than in the other countries. Besides, the tribes in Jehanna were a bit more aggressive and more used to fighting so they had few difficulties with them. Kahina was really one hell of a fighter. There was no man who could beat her. But let's return to the story." He threw Seth a second scolding glance. Seth smiled sheepishly. "Hineas and Faye met Grado and Latona. After a few difficulties they decided to travel together."

"What difficulties?" Charles sighed mock-annoyed. Seth harrumphed sheepishly and quickly apologized.

"Hineas and Grado had clashing personalities. Grado was straightforward and had the tendency to not think enough about his plans. Hineas on the other hand thought far to much and always wanted to take over the command. Grado was a bit... angered by that, to phrase it nicely. Since Latona was very demure, Grado had become the leader and had intended to keep it that way." Charles grinned broadly and laughed. "They quarrelled the whole journey and constantly fought over the leadership. Latona always tried to reason with them and most of the time she succeeded. If Faye on the other hand intervened, the quarrel became even more heated. Hineas always wanted to show off in front of her so..." Charles left the sentence unfinished and grinned. "Even though Faye didn't care about that and wasn't impressed by him, rather angry I would say. But he wanted to prove himself worthy of her."

"It's understandable, isn't it?" Seth mumbled. "Every man wants to show his love that he is worthy." Charles raised an eyebrow.

"It is. Are you talking from your own personal experience?" Seth blushed a tiny bit and shook his head. Charles just laughed and continued his story. "During the time those three heroes met, Kahina and Iwain still lived their normal life. But that changed quickly. A large horde of Monsters killed Kahina´s father and she started a vendetta. During that time she met Malik. His tribe had been annihilated and he searched for a place to stay. He joined her and eventually fell in love with her. They were a strange pair." Charles added with a frown. "They were complete opposites but somehow they counterbalanced each other."

"And what happened to Iwain?" Charles sighed tiredly and shrunk a bit.

"Iwain lived his life and was happy. Then, one day, monsters attacked them. Iwain wasn't there that day. He was searching for herbs in the forest and when he came back he found his fields in ruin. Half of his tribe was dead, his mother one of them. And Laudine was badly hurt and dying. His anger was infinite and he took up his lance. Hate and the lust for revenge clouded his mind and he went mad. The united group of Latona, Grado and Hineas travelled through Renais to reach Rausten and one day they could observe how one man alone killed a large group of monsters. They were shocked and fascinated and decided to talk to him. The man would be a great asset for their group. Latona recognized the mad Iwain and tried to clear his mind. But Iwain didn't listen to her and continued to slaughter monsters. Not before the group met the rest of Iwain´s tribe they understood his rage. Latona healed Laudine and together they searched for Iwain. It was such a joyful reunion." Charles sighed dreamily and sadly. A faraway look entered his face and he stared at the fire again. "Iwain regained his senses and on the battlefield he asked her if she wants to marry him."

"Really?" Seth interrupted surprised.

"Yes, directly next to a corpse. It was not romantic or anything like that but somehow, in its own way, it was perfect." Charles grabbed another piece of wood and threw it in the chimney. Sparks flew up and floated through the air. "And she said yes immediately." he added with a grin. Seth nodded slowly. He wouldn't want to propose on the battlefield. Love didn't belong there. "Iwain decided to join Latona to repay her deed. Laudine should remain with his tribe but she refused and followed her love. She was quite stubborn, wasn't she?" Seth nodded, his thoughts with his own princess. She had that stubborn streak as well. "Well, after that the group continued their journey to the Darkling Woods. When they tried to cross the mountains they met Kahina. And with her the group became even louder." Charles sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"It sounds like the journey was arduous." Seth commented. "But how do you know all those details? It almost sounds like you were part of it." There was just a tiny bit of suspicion in his voice but it was so small that even Seth didn't notice it. Charles laughed at that.

"How should that work? I had to be over 800 years old. I know that I don't look that fresh but 800 years?" He propped his head on his arm and looked at the fire smiling. "I just have some very accurate sources from contemporary witnesses."

"I would like to read them too."

"Unfortunately they were destroyed last winter." Charles sighed and nodded to the wall behind him. "See the damaged wall? Last winter an avalanche hit it and the snow melted fast and soaked the books." Seth nodded. He detected the badly repaired spot; the wood was much lighter than the rest and it looked like it was leaky as well.

"That's too bad."

"Yes, but fortunately I know the story by heart. And now we reach the suspense-packed part of the story." Seth turned his attention back to Charles who looked very excited, rubbing his hands. "The heroes thought they were strong enough with Kahina, Malik and their warriors and continued their journey. When they finally reached the Darkling Woods they were surprised. At the time Latona had fled her homeland, the Demon King had already been powerful and big but when she met him again, he had grown significantly. Unfortunately that meant they had underestimated him."

"They were not strong enough." Seth concluded.

"Yes." Charles sighed. "They took heavy losses and had to retreat. Grado and Kahina were furious. Both were very proud of their strength but none of them could harm the Demon King. It was hard for them to accept their weakness. The heroes hid and tried to think of a way to beat him but no-one could think of something and they despaired. Only Latona didn't give up and decided to pray to the Goddess for help. The Goddess heard her plight and sent help. Five falling stars fell from the sky. It was a sight to behold." The last part Charles whispered so lowly that Seth didn't hear him. "The five stars flew to Grado, Latona, Hineas, Kahina and Iwain. The Goddess had decided that those five had the ability to seal the Demon King. Grado, Hineas and Kahina were proud of that and they drew confidence by it. Latona had never given up so she had no problem as well."

"Problem?" Seth asked confused. Charles sighed and something strange happened. Seth didn't know if he imagined it but it looked like Charles grew older the longer he looked at him. His face was more wrinkled than before and did his hair have grey strands now?

"Yes. Iwain wasn't happy about it. He had hoped that the last stone would fly to Malik or one of the men who wanted to fight. Iwain didn't want to lead or fight. It was not like he was a coward but he wanted to live. To live in peace." Seth frowned deeply.

"That doesn't make sense."

"I know." Charles sighed lowly and shook his head He looked even older now if it was possible. Seth wondered if the dying fire was to blame, dimming the light and making the shadows on his face longer. "He had no confidence in his abilities as a leader. Even back with his tribe he had never striven for the succession to his father. He was a simple man."

"Even if he was a simple man with simple needs, didn't he see that he had to fight?" Seth asked unbelieving. "He could've never survived with the Demon King. His fiancé was nearly killed by the Demon King and he still had doubts?" Seth didn't understand him. If the Demon King would threaten Eirika he wouldn't hesitate one second to kill that monster.

"I know all that." Charles replied. "But it was the way he felt and thought. Nonetheless with the support of Laudine he accepted his role." Seth nodded slowly. Still, the attitude of the man who founded Renais didn't appeal to him. "Now that they had the Stones, they decided to attack the Demon King again."

"But what about the Sacred Weapons?" Seth interrupted surprised. Charles waved it aside.

"Just wait. They didn't get them at the same time, you know." Seth nodded and listened closely. "When they arrived at the outskirts of the Darkling Woods, they met someone. A person who introduced himself as a dragon."

"You mean a Manakete?"

"Yes, I think they call themselves Manaketes." Charles said nodding. "They met one and he said that the Goddess had asked him to support the heroes. They accepted his offer of course. Then, when they finally wanted to enter the Darkling Woods, the Goddess spoke to them. You can imagine how surprised they were. To hear the voice of the Goddess themselves..." Charles trailed off and stared at the wall. Seth watched him curiously. Charles´ eyes were somewhat hollow, as if he was no longer here but in a faraway place. After a minute of silence and motionlessness -and when he didn't react to Seth´s calls- the redhead poked him.

"Charles?" The man didn't budge. Seth poked him again. This time Charles winced and turned to Seth blinking.

"What?" he asked confused.

"You were lost in thought." Charles blinked slowly and turned to the fire again.

"I see..." He still sounded dazed and acted like he was sleep-walking when he threw another piece of wood on the embers. "I'm sorry. I always wonder how that felt like." Seth raised questioningly an eyebrow. That sounded like a bad lie. "Anyway." Charles harrumphed and regained his composure. "The Goddess told them that she will bless some of their weapons but they had to decide which. Each hero should pick two weapons. Latona chose her healing stave and James´ strongest tome. Grado chose his favourite axe, Garm, and the dark tome of his second-in-command Caleb. Hineas chose his bow and Faye´s lance. Kahina chose her sword and Malik´s tome. And Iwain..." Charles stopped and his eyes suddenly were dull again. Seth frowned and leaned forward a bit.

"And Iwain?"

"He chose his lance and his sister´s sword."

"His sister?" Seth asked confused. Charles nodded dazed.

"Yes, his sister Sieglinde fought with them."

"Sieglinde?" Something was ringing when Seth let the name roll over his tongue but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"His sister was more of a fighter than him and had insisted on coming along. She-" Charles broke off and closed his eyes pained.

"What happened to her?" Seth asked concerned and bewildered because Charles reacted this strongly. It was only a story after all.

"Later. Let me tell the story in the correct order." Charles mumbled. He looked like an old man now, the flickering fire making his wrinkles even deeper. Seth was a bit concerned about the blue-haired man. The story seemed to upset him quite a bit. Maybe he should stop him... But it was really thrilling. "After the weapons were blessed, they challenged the Demon King a second time. And this time they faired better, especially with the help of the dragon. They inflicted deep wounds but that monster still lived. Shortly before his death, he played his trump card..." An angry expression settled on Charles´ face. "He used some kind of dark magic and fogged their minds." He broke off again and sighed deeply.

Seth didn't dare to say anything, even after one minute of silence. He could see that it was tough for Charles to speak about it, even though he couldn't imagine why. It's not like Charles was there to experience it himself. Charles had said it himself; he was not 800 years old.

"Strange thoughts and visions appeared in their minds. Promises of what would happen if they don't give up and surrender to the Demon King. Promise of what they could get if they... He read their hearts and promised to fulfil their wishes if they give up..." Charles raked a hand through his hair. He looked so tired. Seth wanted to interrupt him to suggest that they stop for today but Charles raised his hand to stop him, as if he already knew what Seth wanted to say. "You already know that only Latona was able to overcome her desires on her own and fought against him?" Seth nodded solemnly. "But you certainly don't know that one of them nearly was convinced, right?"

"No." Seth answered shocked. One of the great heroes had nearly succumbed to the Demon King? What a bold statement! Before Seth could ask how he would know that, Charles continued.

"But one of them did nearly accept it."

"Who was it?" Seth asked, his voice cold and angry. Charles shrunk in his chair and sighed sorrowfully.

"It was Iwain."

"Iwain!" Seth jumped up, bowling over his chair in the process, and stared down to Charles. "You want to tell me that the founder of Renais, my homeland, was a spineless coward?"

"He was not a spineless coward!" Charles fired back angrily but stayed seated.

"He thought about succumbing to the Demon King, the monster who killed his mother and nearly killed his beloved! He thought about betraying his companions and every other human on Magvel! And for what!" Charles clawed his fingers in the arms of the chair and averted Seth´s gaze growling.

"You don't understand." he hissed. "You don't know anything about him."

"I don't need to know him to realize that he is a coward and nearly a traitor."

"He was just a boy!" Charles screamed, whirled his head around and glared fiercely at Seth. The redhead was a bit taken aback but he refused to show it. He glared back. "Iwain was not a fighter nor wanted he to be there. He was a boy, a boy who had grown up in peace. A boy who wanted that peace back. I know that you don't understand him." Charles took a deep breath and slowly released his tight grip on the armrest. "Iwain was just 17 when the monsters attacked his tribe. He was barely 18 when they fought their finally battle against the Demon King."

"And the others?" Seth nearly spat. Charles wrinkled his fore head in anger again but he calmed himself before he spoke again.

"I can guarantee you that all of them were older than him, Grado being the oldest with 30-something. And most of the warriors, apart from Latona and her tribe, were seasoned fighters. Even if they were just hunters, they were used to the violence and death but Iwain..." He shook his head again and massaged his temple. Seth still stood next to him, angry and with crossed arms. "Iwain grew up in peace and hated to hunt. His only wish was to go home to his farm, marry Laudine and live his life in peace."

"So he would've sacrificed all the other humans therewith he can live with Laudine?" Seth asked angrily. Charles closed his eyes pained.

"Yes." Seth snorted disparaging.

"I can't believe it." He turned his back to Charles and stared at the chair lying on the ground. He couldn't believe, no, he didn't want to believe him. How could he claim that the founder of Renais, the ancestor of Prince Ephraim and Princess Eirika, was a foul traitor and coward! He started to doubt this story more and more.

"He thought about it but he didn't accept it." Seth turned wordlessly. Charles gazed at him, looking him directly in the eye. "He saw a beautiful future with Laudine, his farm and his children. It was a true paradise. The village was rebuild and everything was exactly the same like before the attack."

"And what kept him from accepting it?"

"Love." Seth blinked surprised.

"What?" he asked stupidly and uncrossed his arms.

"I said ´love´. It was Laudine. She called him back. You see, the visions were all in their heads, which meant that the bodies still stood on the battlefield. And Laudine was afraid of the visions and called for Iwain. He heard her and instantly disregarded the vision, shook away the fog and searched for the real Laudine. Latona already had cast off the spell and used her Sacred Stone to fight against the Demon King. Iwain grabbed Laudine and freed her from the spell and together they raised the Sacred Stone and helped Latona. By degrees the other heroes could be freed with the help of the light of the Sacred Stones as well and all five heroes sealed the soul of the Demon King in Grado´s stone."

"Why Grado´s stone?" Seth interrupted. He had picked up the chair again and sat down. He was still a bit distrustful but nonetheless curious.

"Because he was the one with the most strength left. The others were too weak to seal him." Charles explained. He still looked very tired and old. "In the end the soul was sealed and the Manakete promised to watch over the bones. The heroes were relieved about that but not everyone was happy." Charles looked like he wanted to continue but his face distorted and he hid his eyes with his hand. Seth leaned forward and put a hand on his shoulder, very concerned for the man´s health.

"Charles?"

"Grado had lost most of his men, Kahina had lost her best friend and Iwain... Iwain had lost his sister."

"What?" Seth whispered shocked.

"Sieglinde died. The Demon King had..." Seth heard how Charles suppressed a sob. "He... No, I can't tell you. It's-" He shook his head fiercely. Taking a deep breath, he obviously fought to keep his countenance. When he opened his eyes again, he looked like nothing had happened. Slowly and reluctantly Seth sunk back in his chair. "It was a bloody end, that much I can tell you. To honour his sister, Iwain kept her sword and named it after her."

"Surely she was happy about that." Seth whispered. When Charles turned to him, Seth smiled, compassion mingling with his own sadness.

"I hope so." Charles whispered and sighed deeply. He kept his eyes closed for a minute and when he opened them again he looked much better. Some of the wrinkles had disappeared and he straightened up a bit. "After that the heroes returned to Renais to hold a council about what should happen with the stones. And to rest of course." Charles added with a tiny smile. Seth was relieved; it looked like Charles was getting his good mood back. "The news about their victory spread unnaturally fast over the whole continent and in the end most of the tribes decided that they wanted them as their leaders. Grado, Hineas and Kahina didn't mind it, even liked the idea of it. Latona was a bit reluctant because she believed that without the help of the Goddess she would have never defeated him and therefore didn't deserve leadership. Which was kinda true, of course. Because of that she first wanted to decline but her tribe convinced her and she chose to found a nation that lives with the guidance of the Goddess." Charles sighed good-natured. "She was really one kind of a woman."

"And Iwain?" Seth asked cautiously.

"Can't you imagine it?" Charles replied with a half-smile. "He was not happy about it and didn't really want to. He was still barely 18 and didn't know how to rule a tribe, or in this case several tribes." Seth frowned again. Had he still learnt nothing from the death of his sister and the fight? "But then Laudine gave him the scolding of his life." Charles laughed and Seth unwrinkled his forehead again. "She yelled at him and demanded that he should stop his self-doubting. He had just helped to kill the Demon King. If he can kill a monster that big then he can rule a few hundred people as well." Seth chuckled lowly. There was the stubborn streak again, he guessed. "That made Iwain think and after a while he accepted the position as ruler. Not just because the pep talk but also because of his sister." A warm smile appeared on Charles´ face. "She had wanted to deliberate the land therewith her brother and Laudine could finally marry. And that was how he repaid her efforts." Charles looked over to Seth again. "Do you still think he was a spineless coward?" Seth gazed back pensively.

"I... I don't know, to be honest. I'm not sure how I would act in his situation but-"

"You have a completely different personality." Charles argued. "I just want you to understand him. At least a bit. The temptation was just too big." Seth nodded slowly and gazed at the ground. How would he react if someone offered him a happy future with Eirika? Even if it was someone like the Demon King. Would he think about accepting it? Would he become weak?

"I don't know." he answered truthfully.

"It is hard." Charles admitted. "And it was inhuman because simultaneously he showed them how they would end if they fight on. In this vision the Demon King killed everyone, of course. Otherwise it wouldn't make much sense, right?" Seth nodded absentminded, still in thinking mode. "Iwain had to choose between a happy future with the Demon King as his master or to watch Laudine die and everyone as well."

"It is cruel." Seth agreed. "I'm honestly not sure what I would do."

"I'm happy to hear that." Seth raised unbelievingly an eyebrow. "I meant that you now understand what Iwain felt." Charles explained. Seth nodded pensively. This story was certainly different from what he had learnt in school, from his father and during his time as a squire. Some parts he couldn't -or didn't want to- believe but others didn't sound too unbelievable. Nonetheless, neither he nor Charles had any proof that their version was the right one. "But I can assure you that Iwain learnt how to rule a nation."

"Yes, it is said that he was a good king." Charles laughed gently and stood up.

"I think that concludes the story, doesn't it?" Seth nodded slowly, still needing time to process everything he had heard in the last... hours? Startled Seth detected that he didn't know how long they had sat here. Charles obviously had read his thoughts because he wormed his way to the kitchen and looked out of the window.

"How's the weather?" Seth asked while he climbed over his chair to get to the door.

"It has cleared up." Charles answered with a smile and pointed at the outside. Seth looked out as well and was instantly blinded. His eyes hurt quite a bit and he needed a relatively long time to adjust them. The snow was pure white and you could see nothing but white.

"Unbelievable. Just a short time ago a storm was raging and now everything is peaceful again." Charles nodded absentminded and walked into the living-room. Still dazed by the blinding light, Seth followed him. Charles peeked out of the door cautiously.

"It seems to be safe. You can leave if you want." Charles closed the door and turned back to Seth. The redhead nodded slowly, a bit reluctant to return to the wintry outside. "I think I'll give you some warmer clothes." Charles said when he saw the reluctance on Seth´s face. He walked over to the bed. Surprised Seth observed that there was a drawer beneath the mattress. Charles opened it and pulled out a thick royal blue tunic, white pants, thick wool socks and an undershirt, throwing everything to Seth. The paladin caught everything but the undershirt. Charles grinned at him, put the shirt on top of the pile of clothes in Seth´s arm and walked into the kitchen again. "Put that on." he said in passing. Seth stared at the clothes. They looked expensive and very well made. They were of much more value than his own. He laid them on the bed and grabbed the tunic. The cotton was thick but still smooth. The embroidery at the collar, sleeves and bottom was golden and it looked like the seamstress had worked several days on that. It was just beautiful.

"Charles?" he called over his shoulder.

"Yes?" the man asked when he returned to the room, a reddish brown cloak in his arms.

"I can't accept this." Seth turned to him.

"Yes, you can." Charles replied and pushed the cloak in his arms. Seth was surprised by the heavy weight and inspected it closer. The cloth on the outside was rough and looked like it could protect the wearer from the rain. The inside was lined with brown fur. The fur was thick and soft and felt good on his palms. "It's my present for a patient listener. And now put it on." The tone in Charles´ voice stifled any objection Seth could have uttered. Sighing Seth obeyed and changed into his new clothes.

"But what about my own clothes?" Seth asked, his voice muffled by the tunic he pulled over his head.

"I've already packed them." Charles replied and let a backpack fall on the bed. Seth straightened the tunic and detected that he liked it. It was warm and cosy and the fabric was very comfortable. When he started to walk over to his armour, Charles stopped him. "Wait. It's not really smart to wear that piece of metal in the cold." The blue-haired man passed Seth and grabbed the armour before Seth could protest. He carried them over to the bed and methodically stuffed them in the bag.

"But-"

"You can take your sword though." Charles said, ignoring Seth´s objection. A bit dumbfounded Seth obeyed and strapped it on. "And now put that cloak on." Suddenly everything became black. And warm. Seth grunted when he pushed back the hood of the cloak and slipped his arms into the sleeves. Charles had thrown the cloak over him and now grinned broadly. "You look good." Seth raised an eyebrow and looked at himself. The colours did look good on him but he felt slightly out of place. The design of the clothes reminded him of one uniform King Fado had always worn when there had been a tournament. It was like he was wearing the robes of a king. Then he detected for the first time that directly over his heart was the same emblem as the one on the carpet. But here it was easier to take notice of it and the letters were not as warped. He could even read them- "Almost regally." Charles joked and held out a pair of brown gloves.

"I'm not regal." Seth argued lowly, picking at the furry collar of the cloak, completely forgetting the emblem. But if he would be regal then... No, he didn't even want to think about that. Sighing he shook his head and grabbed the gloves.

"Seth..." Blinking Seth looked up from putting on the gloves and turned. Charles´ voice had sounded so gravelly. The blue-haired man stood at the window and frowned, watching the sky and the landscape. "You should leave soon." Seth nodded slowly, closed the cloak and swung the bag on his back.

"I'm ready." Charles nodded to him with a strange smile, wistful and sad but happy at the same time.

"Be careful out there." he whispered and put his hand on Seth´s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. Seth nodded with a small smile.

"I will. And thank you again, Charles. Without you I would be dead."

"I know, I know." Charles declined nonchalantly. "You already thanked me and I already accepted it. So stop it." Seth shook his head chuckling. That was the Charles he liked better; quick-minded, glib and easy-going. The blue-haired man escorted him to the door and opened it for him. Seth made a grimace when the cold air hit his warm skin. He pulled the hood up, drew the cloak closer and stepped out in the snow. Everything was still blindingly white and he had difficulties to orient himself.

"How can I get to the foot of the mountain?" Seth asked. Charles leaned against the door frame and thought for a moment.

"This way." He pointed right from the house. Seth turned and after a moment he could see that there was a slight dip. "And Seth?" The paladin looked at him curiously. There was a fatherly smile on Charles´ face. "Stop doubting yourself." Seth blinked clueless. "You are worthy of her." A hint of a blush appeared on Seth´s face.

"I'm not-"

"Seth, I know what I'm talking about." Seth opened his mouth to protest but when he saw the stubborn look in Charles´ eyes he knew that every denial was completely futile.

"I'll... think about it, okay?" the redhead sighed defeated. Charles chuckled lowly and nodded.

"That's good enough for me. Farewell."

"Farewell Charles." Seth answered, smiled and turned, stomping through the snow. He had just walked a few steps when he heard Charles whisper.

"Your children will be great kings." Seth whirled around but the door had already fell close.

"Charles!" Confused and irritated Seth ran back to the house. What was that old man talking about? He yanked the door open, the name already on his lips when he stopped dead in his tracks. His arms fell limbed, his eyes widened and dazed he looked around.

The house was completely destroyed. The roof was collapsed and only a few baulks were still standing, the wood a brownish black. The interior was weathered and mouldy, at least if it was still recognizable. Seth walked over to a stool and carefully touched on it. It instantly collapsed and hit the ground in pieces. With an open mouth Seth looked around. It looked like the house had been like this for several years. But just a few minutes ago it had been perfectly fine! He had slept in a warm bed, had eaten fresh vegetables and meat and had sat in front of a fire...

"What was that? Who was...?" Seth was too stunned to think straight. Had everything just been a dream? Had Charles just been the product of his mind? But then he felt the warm cloak. It was still there! As well as the clothes Charles had given him and they were in a perfect condition. "Then it wasn't just a dream..." Seth mumbled. But it still didn't make sense. Looking around and still trying to think of a logical explanation, his left hand picked at the collar of the cloak again.

Frowning, he noticed that there was some kind of obstruction. He looked down. Just beneath of his wrist was the emblem. Slowly Seth lifted his hand. He really could read the words now. His eyes widened. Unbelieving he mouthed them but he still couldn't believe it. Maybe if he said them aloud, they would tell him if his meeting with Charles had been real.

"Iwain Siegmund Charles of Renais..." No, it was still unbelievable. Dazed Seth plodded to the door, stepping on the snow. He threw one look over the shoulder again. The house was still in ruins. Shaking his head, he continued his way. Everything was quiet, only the scrunching of his boots echoed through the snowy valley. Before the house disappeared behind the horizon, Seth turned back one last time. The house was nothing more than a tiny dot now and Seth had to squint to make it out in the snow.

"Charles... I will cherish your words. I promise." he whispered, saluted once and finally turned his back to the house, returning to the realm of the living.

* * *

Seth stumbled through the mountains, swearing at the vile snow, the slippery footing and the blinding whiteness. The shining sun didn't help him either. The mountains looked all the same and there were nearly no trees or rocks or any type of formation that would help him to orient himself. The only thing he could do was walking, sliding and, if he was unfortunate enough, rolling down the slopes. It would have been easier if he wouldn't think the whole time about Charles and his mysterious words.

What had he meant with his last words? '_Your children will be great kings'_. Just thinking that sentence made the paladin cringe. Seth finally had accepted that he was not insane and that the Charles he had met really was the founder of Renais and therefore the story about the five heroes was true. He didn't know how that had worked but there were enough hints that it was not only in his imagination. And that made Seth think. There were two ways to interpret Charles´ parting words and at least one of them made Seth´s stomach twist violently.

He could have meant that he would someday marry Princess Eirika and their children -he had to fight down the blush at that thought- will be great kings. This vision he liked quite a bit, though he thought he shouldn't feel like that. He had sworn to himself that he would stop thinking about her as a woman. But his thoughts obviously ignored the resolve and tried to torture him.

While Seth was completely lost in thought he didn't noticed the next slope. Taken by surprise he felt the ground disappearing and fell forward, cursing inwardly and shielding his head. He rolled for at least five minutes until he finally stopped. He felt incredibly dizzy when he stood up, or tried to stand up. His stomach thought about losing its contents but finally decided against it. Seth was very glad about that. He looked around and relieved he detected the first trees.

"That means I finally made some progress." he mumbled with a happy sigh. He quickly checked his bag and fortunately he didn't lose any piece of his armour. Swinging the bag on his back again he resumed his walk, this time in the vicinity of the trees, in hope that he could cling to them should he slide again. When he felt safe enough, his mind wandered off again.

There was always the second interpretation in the back of his mind and he hated it. If he doesn't marry the Princess that would mean that the only way that his child -or children- becomes king was an overthrow. The thought that his child would betray the royal twins was poison for his mind. Will he fail as a father and bring up his children to being traitors? It was a frightening thought and stirred doubt in his chest. What would he do if his child rebels against the king he has sworn to protect? On which side would he stand?

Sighing Seth shook his head. Both version made him feel strange and in reality he wanted to forget that Charles had said anything of that sorts. But Charles´ words gnawed on his mind and followed him like a dog. Lowly grumbling Seth stomped through the snow, now concentrating on listening to any sounds of monsters but he heard nothing but the crunching of his boots on the snow.

He walked like this for at least an hour and the more he progressed the more he thanked Charles. The cloak and the clothes warmed him through and through and the cold didn't bother him anymore, only his face was exposed to the wind. He was just walking on something akin to a path when he heard something. It was a flapping of wings. And yells. Surprised he turned and looked up, shielding his eyes with his hands. Two white dots were flying towards him.

A grin appeared on his face when he recognized them as pegasi. He waved to them and felt a wave of relieve wash over him when they started to dive. Both kicked up snow when they finally came to a stop next to him. Their riders pulled back their hoods and revealed blue and green hair.

"General Seth, is that you?" the blue-haired woman asked. Seth forced the big grin from his face and only smiled relieved when he pushed his hood back.

"Yes. It is good to see you, Princess Tana. And Dame Vanessa of course." Both women sighed relieved and Tana gently squeezed the sides of her pegasus, ordering it to walk over to Seth.

"I'm glad that you're still alive." Tana said with a grin. "Eirika went completely berserk when she heard that you were missing. She nearly insisted to go on a search for you alone. In a snowstorm." Seth had to fight down the happy bubbling in his stomach with his shock that the princess had intended to walk around in a heavy snowstorm. Tana shook her head amused. "But Innes and me could prevent it. Eirika couldn't sleep one second last night and to be honest, most of us didn't think that you'd be still alive when we find you."

"I thought that as well." Seth sighed.

"But you're not and that's great." Tana replied with a grin. "Let's return to the camp so Eirika can finally relax." With a pounding heart Seth nodded.

"Give me your backpack. I can strap it to my saddle." Vanessa offered. Thankful Seth gave it to her since the armour was heavy and straining his back. While the green-haired woman fixated the bag on her pegasus, Seth mounted behind the princess and carefully grabbed her around the waist.

"Where did you get this cloak?" she asked curiously over her shoulder while she positioned her pegasus therewith he could ascend easier.

"That's a long story." Tana shrugged, clicked her tongue and the pegasus set into motion. When the flying horse finally left the ground, Seth grabbed Tana´s waist a bit tighter. The princess giggled at that.

"Are you afraid of flying?" she asked teasingly.

"I'm not too fond of it." Seth answered evasively, trying to ignore the wind slapping him in the face. The hood of his cloak billowed around and drew him backwards. He just hoped that the flight would not be too long.

* * *

After a luckily short amount of time Seth could spot the first tents in the snow. Only few people were walking around and he saw a turquoise dot in front of a big tent. His heart leapt against his throat and the grin sneaked on his face again. He had never been that glad to see his comrades. And the princess. Tana leaned forward and waved.

"Eirika!" He saw the turquoise dot wave back. "We found him!" Seth cautiously straightened and waved as well. The turquoise dot faltered for a second and then waved to them with both arms. Seth chuckled inwardly, while Tana voiced her amusement. "Hold on." she said over her shoulder. The redhead nodded and put his arms around her waist again.

The landing was a bit rough and Seth was shaken quite a bit. He sighed relieved when he finally had solid ground beneath his feet again.

"Seth!" He turned at her call and saw the former dot running towards him. An elated smile was on her face, her cheeks rosy from the cold and her eyes glittering with happy tears. She stopped shortly in front of him, the desire to hug him clear in her eyes but she restrained herself. Without thinking he pulled her in a short embrace and half of his mind regretted it immediately. The other half that was still dominated by thoughts about Charles and his mysterious words was quite happy. He would probably kick himself later but now he felt too serendipitous to do that; he was back and alive. Eirika blinked surprised and squeezed him tightly before she released him again. "You're alive." she whispered still unbelieving.

"I am." She grinned up at him and squeezed his hands.

"General Seth!" A blond boy ran towards him, his brother trailing behind. "General Seth, you're okay." Tana and Vanessa chose that moment to leave and tend to their pegasi. Seth smiled at the boy.

"Franz, it's good to see you again."

"You made us worry, General." Forde added and leaned on his brother.

"I'm sorry. That was not my intention."

"I hope so!" the blond knight exclaimed with a grin. "The princess was nearly worried to death." Eirika blushed at that and glared at the loudmouth. Seth had to suppress his happy smile again.

"Forde." Franz scolded his older brother frowning. Forde just shrugged laughing.

"Where did you get those clothes from?" the older one of the blond knights asked and scrutinized Seth. "I can't remember that you left with them." Seth gently grabbed the collar and let his hand glide over the fur.

"A friend gave it to me." he said lowly, with a tiny smile on his face. Eirika and the two brothers blinked surprised.

"A friend? You met someone in that storm?" Eirika inquired curiously.

"Yes. He saved my life."

"Then I should thank him as well." the princess thought aloud.

"I'm afraid you can't meet him." She gazed at Seth questioningly. He shrugged with a half smile. "He left and probably won't come back." His arm grazed the emblem again. "He doesn't need to." The two knights and the princess exchanged questioning glances. "He doesn't need to." Seth whispered to himself and turned to the high mountains behind him. "I have understood what he wanted to tell me."

"Seth?" Eirika asked, tilting her head in question. Seth turned to her again. Those big blue eyes gazed at him innocently and somehow, Seth saw the vision of a happy family with him and the princess again. And it did feel right. Hadn't Charles said it? He was worthy of her and maybe, maybe he could trust him with that. If her great ancestor gives him his blessing, then he couldn't be that unworthy, right? Seth smiled at her reassuringly and was delighted when her cheeks turned a bit darker. But he could wait. He wouldn't be like Iwain and ask her for her hand on the battlefield. He will wait until this whole mess is over and everything has calmed down. Then, he would never let her go. "Seth?" she asked again.

"It's nothing." he answered. Eirika didn't seem completely convinced but she nodded.

"You're surely hungry. Let's get you something to eat." She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the big tent she had been sitting in front of. Forde and Franz followed them with their eyes slightly confused.

"Somehow..." Franz said slowly and turned to his brother who was still leaning on him. "The air between them has changed." Forde nodded thoughtfully, staring at Seth´s back until he disappeared in the tent, and then finally grinned.

"Looks like he has finally decided on something."

"What do you mean?" Franz asked confused. Forde grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"He decided to make a move." Forde cackled and strolled back to his tent. Franz stood in the square, gazing at nothing. Then, he shrugged and walked back to his own tent. Maybe now the strange tension between the General and the Princess will disappear. It's not like nobody had noticed that those two had a special relationship. Joshua had already made a bet. Looks like Forde has won it. He had betted that the General will make a move before they reach Jehanna. Franz cursed under his breath when he remembered it. He had no 500 gold. Now, where can he get some money from...

* * *

If anyone of you recognizes where I got some names from, kudos and yay for you. You showed your awesomeness.


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